


That Don't Impress Me Much

by canthelpmyselves



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe, BAMF Mick, Bisexuality, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Female Barry, First Time, Genderswap, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-12-08
Packaged: 2019-08-28 08:47:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16720134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/canthelpmyselves/pseuds/canthelpmyselves
Summary: Leonard Snart is a world renown thief. He has an impeccable reputation. He's not about to be ignored by some wet-behind-the-ears hero.





	1. Rogues At Large

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest, I'm not a big fan of gender-swap stories. I've read a few really good ones and a few really bad ones. I decided to attempt to write one, myself, just to see if I could. Surprisingly, even though I'm a straight female and have been married for over 20 years, I find it easier to write gay sex than I do straight.

(Leonard Snart POV)

Leonard was not fond of being disregarded. He was a premiere thief and complete badass. That was deserving of some respect. So, to be ignored by a crime fighter, especially by a so-called superhero (righter of wrongs, undoer of evil, blah, blah, blah) well… to say he was miffed would be an understatement.

“Frowning is just going to give you more wrinkles.”

Len glared at his sister as she swung her leg over the stool beside him and sat down. “Not the time, sis,” he growled.

Lisa smirked as she pulled off her jacket and placed it over the stool on her other side. The bartender slid a beer in front of her without her having to order. The Snart siblings were regulars here, after all. “Mick said you’re obsessing. He thought maybe you’d talk to me,” she replied.

“I’m not obsessing,” he denied sharply. “I’m… annoyed.”

“Because some costumed freak isn’t busting you?” she pointed out. “Since when do you want to get caught?” She looked at him with raised eyebrows. “Is this some sort of mid-life crisis?”

Len gave her a glare that usually intimidated others. Lisa, however, had long ago developed an immunity to it. “I’m not having a mid-life crisis,” he bit out tightly. “Do you know how many low level thieves this Flash has run down since appearing in Central City? 23,” he answered before she could reply. “23 nobodies. He even ran in Drake. Drake, Lisa! That idiot once locked himself in his own car trunk! I’ve pulled three jobs in five weeks, and all I get is the cold shoulder!”

Lisa’s jaw dropped. “Wait, so this is about your ego?” she laughed. “Oh good lord, Lenny! Anyone else would be grateful to stay off the radar! But no, not you! You get jealous!”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” he snapped, standing up and tossing some money on the bar. Len walked away stiffly, annoyed by his sister’s giggles. Jealous? Of course not! It was just that he had a reputation to maintain! Maybe it was time to up his game.

* * *

(Strawberry Henrietta Allen POV)

Berry Allen was exhausted. Ten hours at work followed by another three chasing down a meta who turned into steel had left her dragging her feet. She barely listened as Caitlin and Cisco grumbled about the damage to the comm unit in her suit. It’s not like she planned to get knocked into a brick wall. Several times. She covered a yawn with one hand while waving bye with the other. She had to be back at work at 9am, which left her just over seven hours to eat, shower, sleep, wake up and get to the precinct. She couldn’t afford to be late. Not unless she wanted to sit through another lecture from Joe about responsibility and reliability. Just as she was stepping into the corridor the monitors began to sound the alert for another crime somewhere in the city. For a fraction of a second she considered leaving it for the police, but in another fraction of that same second she was already speeding back over to the suit. She was dressed and out the door before Cisco could yell out about the damaged comm leaving them unable to assist her. 

Berry sped into the Central City House of Antiquities, skidding to a stop when she spotted a man calmly leaning back against a pillar. She huffed under her breath as she recognized him. Captain Cold wasn’t a metahuman, just a regular criminal. Sure, he used some pretty advanced tech, but she had made the decision a couple of weeks ago to focus only on metas and let the police handle the regular guys. With her powers, it was just too risky that she might do some real damage to one of them. It had happened once, (the man had ended up in the hospital with a damaged spine that took 2 surgeries to correct) and she wasn’t about to take a chance on it happening again.

“You’re a woman,” Cold said with surprise.

She felt a light blush heat up her cheeks, but luckily her voice didn’t go up, thanks to the vibrations of her vocal cords. “Observant,” she quipped. She turned to leave, hearing the distant sound of sirens. A stream of ice hit the floor just to the left of her.

“Leaving already?” he asked in a gruff voice. “We haven’t even broken the ice yet.”

Berry rolled her eyes as he smirked widely. “Seriously? I so don’t need this tonight.”

He pushed off from the pillar, gun pointed toward the ceiling casually. “That _snow_ way to act. Especially since I went through all the trouble of arranging this meeting.”

Berry groaned as her shoulders slumped. She hated puns. Especially bad ones. She zipped forward and grabbed the ropes that kept visitors back from the displays. Before he could move or aim again, she had his chest pinned to the pillar, the ropes tying his hands around it. Even through his goggles she could see his eyes widen in surprise.

She heard several police cars getting closer, but she took a second to reach up and lightly pat the man’s cheek. His smirk had already faded, but now a scowl took it’s place. “Have fun in jail,” she grinned before speeding out the door in a flash of lightning.

It only took her twenty seconds to return to STAR labs. She ignored Cisco’s continued grumbling, changing quickly and heading down into the lower levels where there were a few sleeping chambers. She just didn’t have the energy left to go across town to her apartment. She was asleep before her head even hit the pillow.

* * *

(Len POV)

The wall across from Len’s bed was covered with newspaper clippings, copies of blurry photos and the large map of Central City with dozens of pins placed at each of the Flash’s confirmed appearances. Okay. He could admit it. The Flash was becoming an obsession. For the last ten weeks, ever since he faced her at the museum, he had been determined to discover everything he could about her.

So far, all he knew was that she was a brunette, female, incredibly fast, and only fought metahumans. Her mask covered her from brow to mouth and her suit, while leaving little to the imagination, form-wise, covered everything from neck to boots.

With a frustrated growl he flung his goggles down on the table and dropped onto the chair. He had seen her eight times since his arrest, but each one ended with her speeding away not long after she saw it was him. The last time, he hadn’t even gotten in a pun before she disappeared with an annoyed huff. The very idea that she didn’t consider him worthy of a fight gnawed at his gut. Just because he wasn’t some suped up genetic threat was no reason to ignore him! He had standards, dammit! He was the best criminal in this town! Maybe even the whole country! And she was going to acknowledge that even if he had to deep freeze the entire city!

“Snart? You might wanna come see this!” Mick called from the living room of the safe house.

“It’s your fleet-footed obsession,” Lisa added loudly.

Len jumped up and walked quickly into the room. His sister and partner in crime were watching the TV intently. Len moved to Lisa’s side and watched the shaky footage on the news. At the bottom of the scene it said ‘The Flash Battles Another Metahuman’. Len tensed as the meta suddenly turned into three metas. Then ten. Then a couple of dozen. She was surrounded by duplicates, and seemed to be struggling to evade punches and kicks. One particularly vicious kick sent her hurling into a mailbox. 

“That’s just a couple of blocks from here,” Lisa pointed out when the reporter said where this was happening. 

Len didn’t hesitate to run back into the other room and grab his parka, goggles and gun. By the time he made it to the door, Mick was following, heat gun strapped to his hip. Lisa had grabbed the keys to the car and was throwing her hair up under a hat. Len felt a moment’s relief that they weren’t questioning him before turning his attention to the matter at hand. Saving his speedster.

* * *

(Berry POV)

Berry hissed with pain as one of Multiplex’s clones kneed her in the kidneys. She kicked out hard, connecting with his hip, which pushed him back enough for her to get back to her feet. Almost immediately the ground under her feet iced over and she went skidding away.

Great! Snart was the last thing she needed to deal with now! At least the police had finally managed to clear the area of civilians and reporters! She flailed her arms to try and maintain her balance, but slammed into something solid. And warm. She blinked twice before looking up at tinted goggles. 

“Chill out, Red,” Snart smirked, one arm wrapped snug around her waist to hold her up. “Calvary’s arrived.”

Berry flinched as a stream of intense fire shot past Snark’s other side. She stared, wide eyed, as Mick Rory chuckled loudly and continued to send flames toward Multiplex. She tried to speak, wanting to demand an explanation, but all that came out was a hiss of pain as her ribs shifted. A wave of dizziness hit, making her knees buckle. Her arms trembled as she tried to hold onto Snart tighter.

“Berr! Your glucose level is bottoming out!”

She tore her eyes from Snart and pressed a shaky hand to her earpiece. “Don’t think I can make it all the way back,” she managed to mumble.

She felt Snart’s arm tighten for a second before he pulled her in closer, giving her weakened body more support. His eyes stayed with the battle, though, as he and Rory continued to fire their guns in an effort to drive Multiplex back.

“Already on the move. ETA 2 minutes,” Caitlin said worriedly. “We’ll pick you up at the box.”

Berry gave a soft sigh of relief. Snark looked down at her for a second, his expression grim. “What does she mean by ‘box’?” he demanded.

Berry found the energy to vibrate free of his hold. “Thanks for the save,” she replied.

* * *

(Len POV)

He jolted as little bolts of electricity covered her body, making him loosen his grip. In a blink, she was gone. 

With a frustrated growl Len turned and shot several of the clones at once, icing them completely. One of them must have been the real guy, because suddenly all the other clones collapsed. Beside him Mick huffed with annoyance that it was over. Lisa honked the horn and they raced back to the car. In seconds they were speeding away from the scene, leaving the CCPD to handle clean-up. It wasn’t until Len was hanging up his parka that he noticed the small blood stain. He clenched his hands in frustration and stalked off to his bedroom. He sat on the chair and stared at the wall, not really seeing it.

“So, is this going to be our new thing?” Lisa asked from the doorway.

“What are you talking about?” he snapped.

“Helping out the do-gooder,” she answered.

Len narrowed his eyes, but kept his voice calm. “She’s MY nemesis,” he bit out. “No one else gets to hurt her.”

A long moment passed before he heard her move. She walked over to stand behind him, placing one hand lightly on his shoulder. “Just don’t forget that we’re criminals and she’s a hero, Lenny. Heroes have a bad habit of taking down criminals,” she said softly before leaving the room. 

Len stood and walked over to the map. He carefully inserted a pin on the street they had just come from before looking at the least blurry photo he had managed to locate. You couldn’t make out her features, but it was easy to see her feminine figure and the chestnut ponytail trailing behind her. 

He could still feel her body pressed tight to his. She was several inches shorter than him, putting her head level with his shoulder. His hand had gripped her right below her waist where her hips began to flare out. Her thick chestnut hair on his neck had been soft and enticing, but not nearly as much as her scent. Ozone and sugar cookies. 

Len groaned as his cock hardened inside the confines of his jeans. Great. Like he needed another aspect of this obsession. Now he was attracted to her, too!

* * *

(Berry POV)

Berry winced as she sat up on the med cot. Caitlin had finally declared her well enough to get up. Two broke ribs, a concussion and a six inch laceration just below her breasts that was deep enough to require stitches. By the time Cisco pulled into the parking lot of The Toy Box, an abandoned putt putt golf course, she was about to drop from exhaustion and pain. Thank goodness for accelerated healing or she’d have ended up in a hospital. 

Don’t forget Snart and Rory, her mind whispered as she consumed some calorie-packed energy bars. They helped, too.

Berry sighed as she gave serious consideration to that. Why had they been there? Why had they helped her? Maybe she had gotten between two rivals? A turf war, of sorts? That didn’t make sense, though. Multiplex wasn’t a thief. He was on a vendetta against his former employer. Had they been there to attack her? Then why help her? She shook her head, thoroughly confused, a state which Berry hated to be in.

She glanced through the windows to see Cisco hunched over a workbench, working on repairing the rips in her suit. Caitlin had left to get some more medical supplies and would be gone at least another half hour. She picked up her phone from the table and unlocked it.

When she found herself running into Snart more and more, she had used her speed to steal his phone and get his number. That way she would be able to track him if necessary. (At least, that’s what she told herself.) She’d never admit it aloud, but the man had presence. If it wasn’t for the horrible puns, she might even go as far as to say he was interesting.

She pulled up his number, listed simply as Wynters, no first name, and fired off a quick text. Saying thank you was the least she could do, after all.


	2. Texts, Puns and A Little Bit of Blackmail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Berry may have contacted him first, but Len's more than happy to keep the contact alive.

Len was just stepping out of the shower when his phone pinged. He frowned as he crossed the room. Lisa and Mick were in the next room, so who would be texting him? He opened the text, read it, then read it again. He stared at his phone in surprise for several seconds. 

**Unknown: Thanks again for the save. I owe you one.**

He sat down on the bed, staring at the message with a mix of emotions. Surprise that she had sent him a text, annoyance that she could contact him so easily, amusement that she was thanking him, and a little bit of smugness that she was obviously thinking about him. He ran a hand over the back of his neck as he thought about what to do. A few seconds later his fingers moved quickly over the keyboard as he replied.

**Len: And here I was thinking you’d continue to give me the cold shoulder.**

Only two seconds passed before his phone pinged again. He eagerly read the new message.

**Unknown: No puns!**

He chuckled, laying back against the pillows as he sent her another text.

**Len: Are you giving my puns a chilly reception?**

He couldn’t help grinning as she replied again while he was adding her to his contacts list.

**Scarlet: That was cheesy, even for you.**

**Len: Ten bucks says you smiled, Scarlet.**

**Scarlet: You owe me ten bucks, Snart.**

**Len: Len.**

**Scarlet: What’s a len?**

**Len: My name is Len. What’s yours? Or should I call you Bear like your friend on the comm unit did?**

He liked that she actually spelled things out, instead of the crazy text-speak Lisa was prone to using.

**Scarlet: One, I’d never give my name to a criminal. Two, I’d never give my name to a man who makes such awful puns. Thanks again. Bye.**

Len frowned as he read that one. His fingers flew over the screen, unwilling to let her end their conversation yet. 

**Len: How badly hurt are you?**

Two minutes passed and he was beginning to think she wasn’t going to answer when his phone finally pinged again. 

**Scarlet: How do you know I was hurt?**

**Len: There’s blood on my coat.**

**Scarlet: Sorry. I heal fast.**

Len huffed with frustration. What the fuck was he doing?! She’s a damn hero! He’s a thief! Sure, she was attractive (what he had seen) and she felt good _(really, really good)_ in his arms, but this was getting ridiculous! He felt like a damn school boy crushing on the popular girl. For fuck’s sake, he had just jerked off in the shower like a loser! That didn’t stop his fingers from typing out a new message.

**Len: You owe me for the dry cleaning.**

**Scarlet: Fine. Drop it off, text me the address and I’ll pay.**

**Len: How about I just bring you the bill? Over coffee, perhaps?**

Another six minutes passed as he waited anxiously.

**Scarlet: Um, are you asking me out?**

**Len: It’s coffee, Scarlet, not a commitment.**

**Scarlet: And I’m sure it won’t seem conspicuous at all for me to be having coffee with Captain Cold.**

**Len: Captain Cold? Now who’s punning?**

**Scarlet: It’s a code name. One you should find appropriate considering your weird love of puns.**

**Len: Just for that, you’re buying.**

**Scarlet: I never agreed to coffee.**

**Len: Jitters. Tomorrow morning, 7:30.**

**Scarlet: Not a good idea.**

**Len: Then I’m keeping the ten bucks.**

After almost fifteen minutes of silence he figured she wasn’t going to text anymore. He got dressed and headed out to the living room. Mick had ordered pizzas and Lisa had put A Fish Called Wanda on to watch. The movie was just ending when his phone pinged. He got up, walked into the kitchen and opened the text quickly.

* * *

Berry slid the paper wrapper from her fourth burger and shoved it into the trash can before sitting back down at her kitchen table. Her eyes kept straying to her phone where Len… Snart’s message was still open. There was no way she was meeting him for coffee at Jitters. It was ridiculous. The man was a criminal. A thief. 

Okay, so he was also a little amusing. And charming. And handsome. 

And it had been a very, very long time since anyone had asked her out. 

Only he wasn’t asking _her_ out. He was asking _the Flash_ out. With that thought, it was easy to finally reply. She typed quickly, hit send and then turned her phone off. She shut off the lights in her small apartment and crawled into bed, more than a little saddened by how this night had gone.

* * *

Len frowned down at his phone.

**Scarlet: I can’t be there, Len. I appreciate the rescue, I honestly do, but you know I can’t meet you for coffee. Thank Heat Wave for me. Goodbye.**

“Who’s that?” asked Lisa, walking over and trying to peer over his shoulder.

Len slid the phone into his pocket quickly and shrugged. “Wrong number,” he lied, turning to get a beer out of the fridge. He jumped when he felt her snatch the phone out of his pocket. “Give it back!” he snapped.

Lisa ran into the living room and hid behind Mick as she sped through the texts. Len felt himself shake with anger as she suddenly looked up at him with shock. “You and the Flash are texting?”

Mick’’s eyes widened comically. Too bad Len wasn’t in the mood to appreciate it. “Whoa. Really?” he asked, leaning over to read them for himself. “Heat Wave? I like that.”

“Give. It. Back!” he hissed, growing furious.

Lisa walked forward a few steps, staring at her brother intently. She opened her mouth, paused, then gave a tiny nod, as if making a decision. “You got a thing for her, don’t you, Lenny?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” he growled. “She’s a hero. A goody-two-shoes.”

“She’s also spunky,” Mick said with a grin. “I like spunky.”

“Why are you two pushing this?” he demanded.

Lisa and Mick exchanged pointed looks. “Because we want you to be happy, Lenny. You’ve never had that. But ever since this Flash appeared, you’ve been… energized,” Lisa said.

“We tease,” Mick said, “but we’d have to be blind not to see that you are invested in this girl. It used to be about the money. For the past few months, it’s been about the Flash.”

“You sound as if you’re okay with that,” Len said cautiously.

“Would’ve left already if I wasn’t,” Mick shrugged. “Been partners for a long time. Never seen you give anyone a second look til now.”

Lisa held the phone up, screen facing Len. “She’s interested, Lenny. I think you should pursue this.”

Len took a quick step forward and grabbed the phone. “She’s not interested,” he pointed out stiffly. “She said no.”

“She said ‘can’t’, not ‘won’t’,” Lisa disagreed. “Look, you’ve got several advantages here.”

“Such as?” he drawled.

“You have her number for one,” Lisa replied. “We pull a few jobs, get her to show up, and you be your charming self. You’ll wear her down.”

“As long as he doesn’t pun,” Mick grumbled.

Lisa put her hands on her hips and grinned widely. “Plus, you have me.”

“And how does that help, exactly?” Len grumbled.

“I’m a woman,” Lisa answered. “I know what women like. Follow my advice and you’ll have the Flash in the palm of your hand in no time.”

Len groaned and headed toward his bedroom. This was a bad idea. A very bad idea. He would be insane to even consider it. He opened the door and paused, looking over his shoulder at Mick and Lisa. “Fine. But the puns continue.”

* * *

Berry laid her forehead on her desk and closed her eyes tightly against her building headache. For the umpteenth time she cursed her sped up metabolism which made aspirin ineffectual. These long shifts were really taking a toll on her. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much she could do about it. The department was on a tight budget, so she was the only full time forensic scientist on the payroll until Davis got back from his honeymoon. Crimes happened at all hours of the day and night, leaving her essentially on-call 24/7. Add in her almost nightly Flash patrols, and she was stretched thin.

“Barr? Got a minute?”

She sighed and looked up as her adoptive dad, Captain Joe West, stepped into the lab. “Hey. What’s up?” she asked with a tired smile.

“Wally wanted me to remind you that we’re having dinner tonight. He’s going to finally introduce us to his new girlfriend,” he said, a slight frown on his face as he sat down beside her. “You look exhausted. You feeling okay?”

Berry sighed and rubbed her eyes. “Long shifts,” she said. “The DA’s really pushing to get these samples processed on the Riley case.”

Joe gave her a sympathetic smile. “That’s what happens when you’re the best. You’re always in demand.”

“No,” she chuckled softly. “That’s what happens when you’re the only.” Her phone suddenly began playing the Snow Miser song and Berry looked at it with wide eyes.

“Gonna answer that?” Joe asked.

She reached out and silenced the phone, sliding it into her back pocket. “Later,” she replied. “I, um, have a lot more work to do. Probably a telemarketer. Or a wrong number. Or DA Singh with another demand.” She stood and walked over to a table, keeping her back to him. “Tell Wally I’ll be there.”

Joe stood and tilted his head. “You know, I _am_ a cop.”

She glanced back at him and nodded. “That would explain why you’re always at the precinct,” she teased.

“Uh huh,” Joe mumbled. “Looks like Wally’s not the only one who should making an introduction.”

Berry spun, jaw dropping. “What?! No! I… I’m not… there’s no one! What makes you think...”

Joe walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders gently. “Berry, I love you, but you’re a lousy liar. No one has a special ringtone for telemarketers. Invite your friend over for dinner some night. I promise not to shoot her on sight.”

Berry felt her cheeks heat up as she groaned and hung her head. “It’s not like that,” she admitted faintly. “I’m really not seeing anyone. It’s just… chatting. Sort of.”

“Well then, I just might have to shoot first,” he grumbled. “Anyone who can’t step up to the plate, they’re not worth your time.”

Berry watched him leave, torn between the need for his advice and the desire to read the text Len had sent. As soon as she was alone, she pulled out her phone and unlocked it.

**Len: The police in this town are too slow. I’ve got ten bucks that says I can swipe the Aztec coins on display in front of me before they get here.**

Berry groaned and let her head fall backwards. She really didn’t have time for this! Her fingers flew over the keypad.

**Scarlet: Busy now.**

A few seconds passed before he replied.

**Len: You stood me up at the bank. Is our relationship growing cold already?**

She fought to keep a smile off her face. 

**Scarlet: You seriously did not just call me having to stop your heists a ‘relationship’.**

**Scarlet: I didn’t stand you up. I was fighting a meta.**

**Scarlet: And you already owe me ten bucks.**

**Len: You. Me. Drinks. 9pm.**

**Scarlet: Can’t.**

**Len: Give me one good reason.**

**Scarlet: You, super-villain. Me, super-hero.**

**Len: So you think I’m super?**

**Scarlet: ugh! Stop it! I have work to do!**

**Len: That Irish bar on 7th. 9pm. One drink.**

**Scarlet: Family dinner at 8. I’m busy.**

**Len: Tomorrow, then.**

**Scarlet: I can’t, Len. You know that.**

**Len: I won’t take the coins.**

Berry sighed and leaned her head against the wall beside the table. Part of her couldn’t help but be charmed by his determination. For three weeks now, ever since he first asked her to have coffee with him, he had been flirting with her. So much so, that she had begun turning off her communicator when she caught him on a job. There was no way she was going to let Cisco hear Captain Cold call her ‘Red’ or ‘Scarlet’ in that husky voice of his. And boy did that take some explaining when both Cisco and Caitlin questioned her about it. She wasn’t entirely sure they believed her when she said Cold had begun using a scrambler to knock out communications, but at least they stopped asking.

The other part of her knew that this was getting out of hand. Leonard Snart was a criminal. It was her job to put away criminals. Of course, her determination to do that was also what led to her current wavering. After her second run-in with flirty Len, she had done some research. Delving into his past had not only given her some insight into his techniques but to the man, himself. She had read all the files from his stint in Iron Heights. One file in particular, which cataloged an inmates tats, scars and distinguishing marks had literally left her sobbing.

She could no longer view him as ‘just’ a criminal. He was someone who had been abused by the one person who was supposed to protect him. Now when she saw Len, she fought, internally, not to reach out to him. To keep up the walls she knew were necessary. She struggled to ignore the flirting, the enjoyment in his eyes when he bantered with her. And she was slowly losing that battle.

She was starting to like Len Snart just a little too much.

With a soft sigh she tapped out a message and hit send. She was so going to regret this.

* * *

Mick was standing near the exit while Lisa kept watch out the large window. It was Saturday, so the Restoration Center was deserted, except for them and two tied-up guards. One hand rested on the case holding the valuable coins while the other held his phone at stomach level, impatiently awaiting her reply.

**Scarlet: The park on High Street. Midnight.**

He replied almost immediately.

**Len: I’ll bring the coffee.**

With a smug look he patted the case and turned toward the others. “Let’s go.”

Mick quirked an eyebrow. “She said yes?”

“Sort of,” he said with a shrug. “Alternate plans.”

Lisa gave a happy little jump before high-fiving Mick. “Now, what are you going to wear?” she asked.


	3. Midnight Meetings and Continued texts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lisa's plan doesn't work nearly as well as they hoped. Maybe her second one will get better results.

Despite her speed, Berry was not known for being punctual, so when she skidded to a stop at the entrance to the park at 11:58, she was actually a little proud of herself. She moved at a more normal speed as she walked along the single path that led through the tinier, less used park in Central City. Despite it’s smallness and lack of picnic tables or playground equipment, it was Berry’s favorite. 

It was the one her parents used to bring her to when she was a child. They would walk along the path until they got to the giant oak tree near the north side and then her dad would lay out a blanket and they would have a tea party. The park was densely wooded, so it always made her feel as if they were in a fairy tale and that, at any moment, dwarves or unicorns would step out from behind a tree to join them.

“You neglected to tell me how you take your coffee, so I decided to bring cocoa, instead.”

After using her speed to scope out the area for a trap, Berry carefully approached the bench Len was sitting on. Satisfied they were really alone, she hesitantly looked at him. His parka hood was pushed back, one ankle resting on his other knee and an arm stretched out across the back of the bench. He motioned for her to the sit down, but she made sure to put as much space between them as possible. This earned her a smirk.

“Scared?” he asked with amusement.

“Cautious,” she replied, making sure her voice vibrated. “Seems sensible when meeting with a known adversary.”

He swung his head around to face her fully. “Is that what we are?” he asked.

“What would you call us?” she countered.

He smiled, his eyes straying down to her lips below her mask. “Potential,” he replied.

She frowned, feeling confused. “Potential? For what?”

He shifted, which brought them a little closer. He picked up a thermos and began pouring steaming cocoa into two disposable cups. “Maybe it’s a little early to be defining anything,” he said. He held out one of the cups to her before putting away the thermos.

She could feel her headache returning and sighed deeply before sipping her cocoa. “May I ask you a question?”

“Ask,” he replied after taking a drink. “I’ll answer if I can.”

“Why are you so persistent? Why do you keep pushing for us to meet up?” she asked nervously.

He gave her a smirk. “Oh, I don’t know,” he drawled. “Why wouldn’t I want to have a drink with a beautiful woman who knows how to wear leather?”

“Actually, it’s a tri-polymer...” Berry clamped her mouth shut and blushed. “Beautiful?”

Len chuckled as he set aside his half empty cup. “From what I’ve seen so far, anyway.”

Berry sighed again and looked down at her cup. “I wish you would stop that,” she whispered.

“Stop what?” he teased, knowing full well what she meant.

“Flirting with me,” she answered, her voice heavy with exasperation. “I know you’re just trying to get in my head, but it’s… uncomfortable,” she admitted. “I’d rather you just be honest, which is a weird thing to expect from a criminal, I know, but even the puns are preferable to false compliments, and I should probably shut up now, because I tend to ramble when I’m nervous….”

Len studied her with surprise. She thought he was flirting for ulterior motives? Did she really not know how sexy she was? From the awkward way she shifted and the flickers of hurt in her eyes, he realized she truly didn’t believe he was serious.

“This was a bad idea,” she mumbled.

“I’m quite fond of bad ideas,” he teased.

“What makes you think I am?” she asked tiredly.

He stared at her for a long moment before slowly reaching out and cupping her cheek in one very warm hand. “Because you came,” he said in that husky voice that turned her insides to mush.

She watched helplessly as he began to lean closer. Her stomach fluttered with nerves as she watched his eyes darken, and her mouth went dry as she realized he was about to kiss her. A heartbeat later she was ten feet away, vibrating with tension. He blinked with surprise before looking around quickly. When he spotted her he stood slowly, as if afraid to startle her. 

“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he said softly.

Berry was too tired, too tense, to censor her words. “But I am,” she whispered before giving in to her fears and racing away. It only took two minutes to reach her apartment. Once inside she shimmied out of the Flash suit and jumped into the shower. Hot water beat down on her as she pressed her forehead to the shower wall. And if a tear or two mingled with the water, no one knew it but her.

* * *

Len collected the cups and thermos before slowly walking out of the park. He got onto his bike and headed back toward the safe house, replaying what had happened over and over in his head, trying to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong. He was no closer to an answer as he walked through the door and hung up his coat. Lisa and Mick both looked up at him in surprise, not expecting him back so early.

“She didn’t show,” Lisa guessed, frowning angrily.

“She showed,” Len answered, dropping down into the armchair.

“She tried to arrest you?” Mick guessed, amused.

“She ran,” he said tightly. He huffed and ran a hand over the back of his head before leaning his head back and sighing. “I called her beautiful and she bolted.”

“That’s… discouraging,” Lisa said hesitantly.

“You think?” Len growled. “She believes I’m playing a game, toying with her.”

“Not your style,” Mick said, trying to be supportive.

“Actually, she might have a point,” Lisa said thoughtfully. When both of them glared at her she rolled her eyes. “Look, all she knows is that you’re a thief. The best thief,” she said quickly when Len’s glower deepened. “You flirt with her shamelessly. She has good reason to think this is your usual behavior. She’s never seen you be serious.”

Len bit the inside of his cheek to keep from yelling. “In case you’ve forgotten, dear sister, you were the one who said I should wear her down by flirting at every opportunity.”

“That was before we knew she was skittish,” Lisa said, waving a hand in the air dismissively. “Now you try a new tactic.”

“And what, pray tell, is that?” he asked sarcastically. 

“Sincerity,” Lisa said firmly. “Tone down the flirting when you text. Ask about her day. Find things you have in common. What kind of movies does she like? Music, books, favorite color. But don’t stop flirting completely. She’ll expect it from you at this point, so if you suddenly stop, she’ll think you’ve just proven her right about ulterior motives.”

Len groaned and asked himself if it was worth all this hassle. Then he thought about the shy smile she gave him tonight that made his pulse jump. He thought about the way he felt when he had his arm around her that day. He thought about the way her eyes sometimes sparkled with humor at his most blatant flirtations. He thought about how she had finally come to accept that he was going to pun no matter how exasperated she got. 

Oh yeah. She was worth it.

***

Berry knew she had issues. Hell, her issues had issues! So, when she found herself slowly becoming friends with Len Snart, she was understandably confused and wary. After the fiasco at the park, where she had run off like a complete idiot, she expected that she would never hear from him again. Instead, she woke the next morning to a text asking if she got home okay. That was it. No puns or demands to know if she was a mental case. Just simple, sweet concern. 

Before long they were texting like they were friends. She would tell him about her day (carefully omitting where she worked or what she did). She used fake names when talking about co-workers. The only thing she ever explained fully, without any omissions, was when she talked about Flash stuff. 

As strange as it was, Len seemed genuinely curious about her life. He still maintained a flirty nature, but he asked about her likes and dislikes. He told her about himself. He even convinced her to meet him at the park a couple more times, but he was very careful not to crowd her. His heist were another story, though. He was completely over the top and outrageously flirty during those times. And the puns were getting worse.

In all honesty, Berry was beginning to feel freer when it came to Len. Captain Cold still unnerved her, but when he was just Len, she found herself opening up to him more. She was starting to trust him, despite his criminal standing. And her newfound happiness wasn’t going unnoticed by the people around her.

Joe had begun asking when he could meet her significant other, no matter how many times she tried to explain she wasn’t dating anyone. Which she wasn’t. Not really. Wally began interrogating her whenever he could corner her, insisting that it was his right, as her almost-brother, to vet any potential suitors. His girlfriend, Jesse, who Berry really liked, was just as nosy. Cisco and Caitlin weren’t as bad, not having known her for as long as Joe and Wally, but even they were growing suspicious. Much to her dismay, though, Cisco seemed convinced Berry was crushing on Harry Wells. Harry was Jesse’s dad, and from an alternate universe. They had gotten trapped here thanks to an explosion in Harry’s lab on his Earth, where he had been experimenting with particle waves. 

Berry would be the first one to admit that Harry was an attractive man. He was tall and slender, with thick black hair, intense eyes and a great mind, but he was also caustic and a bit of a know-it-all. She liked him well enough, but only as a fellow scientist. His knowledge was helpful to the CCPD when it came to neutralizing the metahumans that still plagued Central City. 

Caitlin was betting on Oliver Queen. Again, a handsome man, but definitely not Berry’s type. Ollie was a friend, only. And not even a close one. Actually, he was more of an acquaintance and occasional crime fighting co-worker. Oliver was a little too grumpy for Berry’s comfort. It was his partner, John Diggle, that Berry was closer to. Dig was calm and funny and supportive, like a big brother.

Berry had no intentions of trying to explain to any of them that she smiled more because of a certain charming, pun-loving crook. None of them would understand, or approve. Well, maybe Harry, but that wasn’t so much ‘approval’ as ‘not giving a damn’. Berry wasn’t sure what was going on between her and Len, and she was reluctant to try and label it for fear of jinxing it. All she knew for sure was, she liked him. She trusted him. 

* * *

Len sipped his beer as he waited for his turn at the pool table. Lisa was lining up her shot when he noticed several guys approaching. Sensing things were about to go south, he set aside the beer and reached down to rest his hand on his cold gun. 

“Cold,” the middle thug growled. “Care to explain why you helped put my cousin in Iron Heights?”

Len tilted his head slightly. “You must have me mistaken for someone else.” His mouth twitched in a slight smirk. “Although I’m not sure how you could make that mistake. I’m definitely one-of-a-kind.”

“Danton Black,” the man snapped. “You and your firebug friend helped the Flash take him down!”

Lisa stepped back beside Len and whispered softly so only he would hear. “Meta who cloned himself.”

Len gave a real smirk now. “Oh. Him. He was in my territory. The Flash just happened to be there. Getting in the way.”

“You sided with a superhero over one of our own,” the guy continued. “Danton’s my family. So, now I’m gonna have to hurt you. Then, we’re gonna do what you can’t. We’re gonna take out the Flash and this city will be ours.”

Len’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, really?” he muttered. 

Twenty minutes later Len had a sore jaw and busted knuckles. Mick was sporting a darkening shiner under his left eye. Lisa was complaining about a broken nail. They dropped the last of the thugs behind the dumpster and headed for the car. 

“Can’t believe I just got a black eye in defense of the Flash,” Mick muttered. “Does this make us good guys, now?”

Len snorted. “We’re criminals, Mick. Always have been. Always will be. We’re just… criminals with ethics.”

“You know, they had a point. This crush of yours does put us at odds with our own kind,” Lisa teased as she started the car.

Len looked out the side window as they headed back to the safe house. Lisa wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t already thought of. It was stupid. Possibly damaging to his standing as a thief. He was risking a lot. More than even Lisa or Mick knew. But he couldn’t stay away from her. Regardless of what his head told him, something kept drawing him to Scarlet. She was important.


	4. Dolce Signora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Len finds out he's not the only Rogue Scarlet has a connection to, and he's not thrilled with this knowledge.

Len smirked as he kept his eyes on his watch. “Three minutes and 38 seconds,” he drawled. “I expected you sooner.”

Berry huffed, obviously annoyed as she walked deeper into the now defunct winery’s basement. “Where’s your crew?” she asked, after turning off the comm.

“Gave them the day off,” he said with a shrug. “How about some lunch?”

Berry rolled her eyes as she looked around the shadowy sub-level. “When are you going to stop stealing?”

“No can do,” he drawled. “I like it. I’m good at it. It’s fun. How about you stop being a superhero?”

“No can do,” she laughed, her vibrating voice echoing off the walls slightly. “Seriously, what are you doing here? As far as I know, there’s nothing spectacular enough here to get your attention.”

Len stepped a little closer, letting his eyes drift over her. “I don’t know about that. I can think of one thing...”

Berry rolled her eyes and shook her head with amusement. “Seriously, Cold, what’s going on?”

“Bored,” he grumbled, glancing off to the side for a second before looking back at her with mischief. “Come on, Scarlet. Occupy me.”

She knew her cheeks were as red as her suit, but she managed to keep her voice level. “You’re a dork,” she admonished, turning and speeding away. A second later, she was back in the room, only a few inches away. Recklessly she reached out and patted his cheek. “And don’t steal anything!”

Len smirked as she disappeared. He liked seeing her smile. Even better, she was getting more and more comfortable about bantering with him. It wasn’t much, but it was progress.

* * *

If there was one thing Len wouldn’t tolerate, it was someone trying to take over his city. It was bad enough, last year, when there had been a different speedster, a villain, it seemed. Before he could get a line on the guy, he suddenly disappeared. Len had often wondered if Scarlet had dealt with the issue, and how, but it was back before they became closer so he had never asked. Had the yellow speedster simply moved on, looking for his own city? He doubted Scarlet could kill a guy. It wasn’t her style. She was too naive. Too tenderhearted. 

Unlike the bastards he was currently facing. 

He had known, when he brought down the Santini organization and replaced it with his Rogues, that there would be others who would try to slip in. These guys were the most aggressive so far. Len dunked behind a black sedan next to Hartley and waited for the barrage of gunshots to die down. His left thigh burned where a bullet had grazed him.

Mick was using the dumpster in the alley for cover, Lisa and Mardon were a few feet away, behind a van. There was a sudden ‘pop’ noise and Baez dropped between them. 

Len was considering having her warp everyone away when she gave Hartley a look. “Spotted lightning.”

Len tensed. Shit! Scarlet was on her way? A sudden gust of wind picked up dirt and debris from the street, sending it swirling around them all. Eighteen seconds later a pile of guns were dropped at Len’s feet. He looked up, but instead of seeing Scarlet in her red leather clad glory, he saw a blue and green blurring figure. It took a moment for him to realize she was intentionally vibrating her entire body to hide her identity in street clothes. And wasn’t that just an interesting little talent she had?

“You owe me, Hart,” she chuckled.

Hartley laughed softly. “Thanks for the assist, dolce signora.”

The Flash laughed lightly. “Anytime.” Len tensed as he watched her turn to look at him. “Be careful.”

Suddenly Scarlet gave a loud gasp and drops of blood hit Len’s cheek. Before he could react, she was gone in a streak of lightning. He looked to the left and saw Mardon smirking proudly. A bloody ice shard lay on the sidewalk by Baez’s feet. 

“Imbecille!” Hartley yelled. “The Flash was helping us!”

Mardon looked unrepentant. “The Flash is our enemy!”

Len struggled to push aside his anger and concern. He stood and aimed his cold gun at the mobsters still standing in shock at the disappearance of their weapons. “Get the hell out of my town,” he growled.

Twenty-eight minutes later the Rogues were walking back into the safe house. As soon as the door closed Len had Mardon pinned to it, cold gun under the other man’s ribs.

“Don’t you ever try that again,” he hissed.

“What?!” Mardon asked, shrinking in fear.

“The Flash is off limits to you,” Len ordered. “There is no room in my crew for vendettas. If you can’t follow my rules, I’ll freeze you out, do you understand?”

“The Flash got my brother killed!” Mardon yelled.

“You’re brother got himself killed,” Len argued. “He was a loose cannon. If he hadn’t gotten shot, he’d have gotten iced. I don’t tolerate loose cannons in Central City. This is MY town!”

Mardon seemed to struggle with himself for a long moment, feet dangling an inch off the floor. Finally he nodded. “Fine,” he mumbled. Len dropped him and he stormed off to one of the back rooms.

Slowly Len turned, struggling to control his anger (and yes, a large amount of jealousy) as he looked at Hartley and Baez, the later quickly swallowed nervously and teleporting away. Hartley looked as if he wished he could do the same.

“Hart?” Len said in a cold tone. “Dolce signora?”

The younger man looked embarrassed for a moment. “Yeah, so, um, I may have had dealings with the Flash. Before. Once. Maybe Twice.”

Lisa shot Len a careful look before moving closer to the kid. “What kind of dealings?” she purred. 

Hartley’s shoulders slumped. “It was before I became a Rogue, okay? I’m… I’m gay. That’s why my parents had kicked me out and disowned me. I was at a bar and these homophobes almost beat me to death. The Flash saved my life. Even took me to a motel and brought a doctor to patch me up. She stopped by every evening and checked up on me, bringing food and stuff, like crossword puzzles and movies, until I was able to take care of myself.”

Hartley sighed and walked over to the couch where he plopped down tiredly. “Then, about a month before I came to you, I was walking back from a place I’d robbed and I ran into the cops. They recognized me and I took off. Next thing I know, I’m on a roof and the Flash is giving me this disappointed look. She told me I was going to end up dead or in Iron Heights if I kept going like I was.” 

Hartley looked up at Len. “The Flash sent me to you. Said you would look out for me, like you did all your rogues. Said I could be a part of a team and not be alone anymore.” Hartley stood up and squared his shoulders. “So, yes, I’ve had dealings with the Flash. I’m not a narc or a plant, I swear. And I can’t tell you who she is, because I honestly don’t know. But the Flash helped me when no one else would. I can’t hurt her in return.”

“Why did the Flash help us, today?” Mick asked. “How’d she know we were there? She wasn’t in her costume.”

Hartley turned red then paled. “I, um, may know a way to contact the Flash. In an emergency, I mean.”

“How?” growled Len.

“If I send out a certain frequency with my gloves, she has an alert that will hear it and follow it to me.” Hartley cringed as Len’s eyes got icier.

“Are you fucking the Flash?” he hissed.

Hartley’s eyes went as wide as possible. “What?! No! I don’t even know her name!” he said quickly, his tone pure panic. “I swear it’s not like that! I’m not a threat to the Rogues! You have to believe me!”

Len stared at the terrified man a long moment more before turning on his heel and stomping away. Hartley looked from Lisa to Mick and back worriedly. Lisa relaxed and patted his arm. “Go rest. It’ll be alright.”

Hartley scrambled down the hall as quickly as possible. Once they were alone Mick looked at Lisa. “He’s pissed.”

Lisa sighed and nodded. “I know. He doesn’t like to share. Having someone else, especially someone on our side of the law, have a connection to her like he does, is going to make him cranky. Better fire up your wok.” Mick grunted and headed to the kitchen. 

Len paced back and forth, his thoughts spiraling out of control. Why hadn’t she told him she knew Hartley? Why hadn’t she told him she was the one who sent Hartley? Was the kid a spy? He’d only been with the Rogues three weeks. Not enough time to really gather any info that Scarlet couldn’t get herself. 

He called her ‘lovely lady’ in Italian. She went out of her way to save him. Sure, the kid claimed he was gay, but Len had been around long enough to know that some people used labels to hide behind, regardless of whether the label is accurate or not. Frustrated, Len pulled out his phone, intending to send Scarlet a text, demanding answers. Before he could spell out the first word, his phone pinged.

**Scarlet: Our park. 9pm. Please?**

A jolt of pure desire raced through him. _Our_ park. His anger receded (but only slightly) and he took a deep breath.

**Len: Should I bring Hart?**

**Scarlet: Why?**

**Len: You seem close.**

**Scarlet: Maybe this was a bad idea. Never mind.**

Len typed quickly, fighting to stay calm.

**Len: I’ll be there.**

A full minute passed before he got a reply.

**Scarlet: okay**

No capitalization. No punctuation. Scarlet was wary. Len threw himself down on his bed and stared up at the ceiling. This was getting way too complicated.

* * *

Scarlet was already standing near the bench when he got there. He steeled himself against the pleasure that gave him. She once told him she was chronically late for almost all things, but she had never once been late for a meeting here. He stopped a few feet away. “Scarlet.”

“Are you hurt?” she asked quickly.

Len’s eyes widened a bit. She wasn’t vibrating her voice. It was the first time he heard her actual voice. It was beautiful. “No.” He watched as her shoulders suddenly relaxed and she let out a soft breath. “You were, though.”

She waved a hand in dismissal. “I heal fast. You don’t. I saw blood on your pants and thought...” She paused and looked down at the ground. “Anyway, glad you’re okay.’

He felt his lips pull up in a smile. Not a smirk, but a true smile. “You were worried about me, Scarlet? Kinda sweet.” Her cheeks turned the same color as her suit, which just made him want to pull her in close.

“Yes, well, wouldn’t want to lose my nemesis, now would I?” she joked.

Len took a couple of steps closer. The length of the bench was all that separated them. “I think we’ve moved beyond nemeses, haven’t we?” he teased. “I might even go so far as to call us friends.”

Scarlet sighed and began to pace, not quite at Flash speeds, but quicker than a normal human. Len wondered if he should just shut up now before he made her nervous enough to speed off. “Are we?” she asked after a minute. She stopped moving and looked over at him. “Why are we friends, Len? We’re supposed to be enemies. Villain, hero, remember? This is… you’re so… and I’m just... I’m getting confused,” she finished weakly.

Len couldn’t have stopped himself, even if he wanted to. He moved only a little faster than a glacier as he closed the distance between them. When she didn’t run off, he reached up and placed his hands on her upper arms, drawing her to him. Scarlet tensed but let her head fall onto his chest. Len’s hands slid around to her back and he breathed in her scent.

“We’re not friends,” he said softly. “But we’re not enemies, either. We’re… something else.”

Scarlet sniffled and hesitantly wrapped her own arms around his waist. “Such a bad idea,” she murmured.

Len chuckled and shook his head. “We’ve already established I like bad ideas. Now, to just get you to admit you do, too.” He tried to just go with the moment, but there was still that tight ball of anger inside him. “So, why’d you send Rathaway to me?”

Scarlet let go and stepped back. Len bit back a groan at the loss of contact. “He’s… not broken, exactly, but kind of damaged, I guess,” she said softly. “But he’s not a bad guy. He needs someone to make him feel safe. To be needed and believed in.” Scarlet sighed and looked up at him. “I knew you would take care of him.”

Len didn’t want to ask, but he had to know. “Is he a spy for you?”

Scarlet hesitated and his stomach twisted. “Not exactly,” she admitted softly. She twisted her hands together before turning to face him. “He doesn’t know, either.”

Len crosses his arms to keep from reaching for her. “Explain,” he demanded.

Scarlet moved over to the bench and sat down. “I’m assuming Hart told you about the sound beacon?”

“Yes,” he answered.

She ran a hand over her hair. “I just figured that, well, if you were in trouble, and Hart was there, and he called out, I would hear it.”

Len slowly relaxed and grinned at her. “You’re keeping an eye on me?”

Scarlet noticed the grin and rolled her eyes. “Don’t get cocky, Snart. It’s purely a selfish thing. If you get iced, my next nemesis might be more dangerous.”

Len’s eyes narrowed, but his smirk stayed in place. “You’re punning me?” he demanded, his voice smooth and playful. “And what do you mean ‘more dangerous’? I’m the pinnacle.” He took a step closer, but Scarlet was suddenly several feet away, her laughter sending a thrilling tingle up his spine.

“Too slow, Cold,” she called out. “Stay safe.”

Len watched the residual streaks of lightning fade before heading back to his bike. He still wasn’t completely happy that she hadn’t told him she knew Hartley, but he couldn’t deny that it made him feel better that she trusted him like that. He pulled back up at the safe house and walked straight through to his bedroom. He stripped down to his boxers and laid back against the pillows. He got to hold her again. And even better, she hugged back.

Yeah, he was completely gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dolce Signora - Lovely Lady in Italian.  
> Imbecille - Imbecile in Italian.


	5. Nice To Meet You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Berry gets badly injured there's only one person she can call to help her.

Len was going over the blueprints of a diamond exchange when his phone began playing Don’t Stop Me Now. He picked it up, eyes moving away from the blueprints. He was expecting to see a text from Scarlet on the screen, but instead it was the lightning storm picture he had assigned to her. It actually took him a few seconds to realize she was calling him. He quickly put the phone to his ear. 

“Scarlet?” he said in surprise. “This is new. I don’t think you’ve ever called me before.”

“L-Len...”

His stomach lurched and ice filled his veins at the faint sound of her undisguised voice. “Scarlet? What’s wrong?” he demanded.

A loud banging noise almost drowned out her whimper. “H-hurt,” she managed to stammer. 

Len shot up out of his chair, his heart racing with fear. “Where are you?” he all but shouted. “Scarlet? Tell me where you are!”

He could hear sirens growing louder over the phone and what he recognized as gun shots. Suddenly he heard her scream and his blood froze.“Scarlet!”

Before he could say anything else the call dropped and they were cut off. Len raced through the warehouse to the kitchen where Mick and Lisa were cleaning up after dinner. “I need to know where the police are going!” he snapped quickly. “Somewhere with gunfire!”

“Looking to play?” Mick asked eagerly. “Do I get to burn something?”

“Scarlet’s hurt,” he growled, struggling to control his emotions. “She tried to call me, but the call was cut off. I heard sirens and gunfire. Find out where!”

Lisa quickly grabbed her laptop and opened her backdoor into the CCPD computers. A damn good hacker and wheel-woman, Lisa had never had any trouble getting into any system. She scanned the incoming reports quickly. “South on Harris Ave there’s a liquor store hold up. And there’s a fire near the docks. There’s a suspected meta involved.”

Len grabbed his cold gun and ran for the door. If there was a meta, Scarlet would be there. He hopped on his bike and turned toward the docks, praying hard he got there in time. And heaven help anyone who got between him and his woman!

* * *

The place was chaos. A warehouse was engulfed in flames and dozens of people were milling about in the street. Two fire trucks struggled to put out the flames, while a handful of cops tried to break up the crowds. Len looked up and down the street worriedly, but couldn’t find even a hint of his Scarlet. Taking a chance on being recognized, he sprinted across the street to get closer to the warehouse. Maybe she was trying to rescue people from inside. He was just passing an alley when he heard a low laugh. He pressed close to the concrete wall and moved slowly into the darkness.

“So, you’re the hero of Central City,” a rough voice said. “A small, insignificant woman. You do not seem so fearsome to me. Beg me. Beg me for your life and I may be merciful and kill you quickly.”

Unwilling to listen to any more, Len took three long strides that brought him around the back corner of the building, gun raised. For a heartbeat he could only stare in horror at the creature in front of him. At least eight, if not nine, feet tall, it looked like a cross between a man and a crocodile. Huge claws flexed, sending droplets of blood to the ground. 

Len gave a low growl and fired his cold gun at it’s shoulder. The creature spun toward him and roared loudly. Len’s next shot hit it square in the chest. This time it gave a pained snarl before quickly scaling the wall of the building and disappearing over the roof. 

Len sped over to the crumbled form, his chest tight with fear. Long slashes ran down her thigh and across her stomach. One eye was swollen shut already and there was a trickle of blood coming from her nose. He lifted her as gently as he could and cradled her close to his chest.

“Talk to me, Scarlet,” he whispered roughly. “Say something.” He felt helpless as she hung limply in his arms. How the hell was he going to get her out of here on his bike if she was unconscious?

“Lenny!”

His head swung to the left as Lisa and Mick ran into the alley. They both skidded to a stop, looking at the beaten and bloody Flash with shock. Mick recovered first. “Got the car idling.”

Len stood as carefully as he could, cringing as a faint moan escaped Scarlet’s busted lips. “Let’s go,” he growled. Settling her into the backseat and then having to leave her to retrieve his bike was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. The second they were back at the safe house, he was pulling her out of the back and rushing her to his bedroom. 

* * *

Her feet were freezing. That’s what woke her up. Then, several things registered in her brain at the same time. First, she didn’t recognize the room she was in. The walls were a dingy gray, the ceiling was low with exposed metal beams and the bed was positively huge. Second, she was still wearing her mask. Why was she wearing that? It was always the first thing she took off. Third, her back was very warm and pressed up against something solid. She shifted to try and roll over, only to have a heavy weight around her waist tighten.

“Too early. More sleep,” a raspy voice whispered against her neck.

Berry panicked immediately, vibrating hard enough to shake the bed. As soon as the weight, which turned out to be an arm, loosened, she shot out of the bed and across the room in the blink of an eye. Only, she didn’t stop when she got to the wall. She ended up vibrating right through it, and found herself standing in the middle of what appeared to be a kitchen.

She froze when she spotted Mick Rory standing in front of a stove, spatula in one hand and a piece of bread in the other. The frilly green apron he wore bore the message **Chop it like it’s hot!** His jaw dropped as he stared at her with shock.

The sound of someone yelping made her jump and spin around. Behind her stood Lisa Snart, orange juice spilling from the carton she had crushed in her hands. Before her scattered mind could make sense of what was going on Len came running into the room. He quickly put his hands out but stopped just shy of actually grabbing her shoulders. Berry was so scared, though, she didn’t hesitate to throw herself into his arms and cling to him tightly. For a full minute, the only sounds in the room were the sizzle from the skillet and Len whispering soft reassurances that she was safe.

As a scientist, Berry was used to cataloging her surrounding and her reactions to them. As a speedster, she was used to doing it quickly, often in only fractions of a second. But, here, with Len’s calloused hand on the back of her neck, all she could think about was how safe she felt. After a long moment she finally began to take notice of other things. She still wore her mask, but her suit had been replaced with a thermal shirt that covered her to mid-thigh, where she was bandaged, and her underwear. Len was wearing a pair of flannel pajama bottoms in a red and blue checkered print and white socks. A light sprinkling of chest hair tickled her cheek, but she decided that she liked it. His left arm was wrapped around her waist securely, but his right hand cradled her head to him with very little pressure. His calloused fingertips rubbed lightly over her neck, but there was nothing sexual or uncomfortable about it. It was… nice.

“You left my mask on,” she mumbled. She could almost feel him smirk.

“Yes, well, I didn’t relish the idea of you sending me to jail the next time I pulled a heist if I snuck a peek,” he teased.

Berry pulled back far enough to be able to meet his eyes. She stared at him for a long moment before reaching up. She was surprised when Len grabbed her wrist to stop her. His blue eyes were intense as he watched her. “I’m not asking, Scarlet,” he said gently.

She gave a tiny nod. “I know,” she answered. She grabbed the bottom of her mask, his hand still wrapped around her wrist, and tugged it up over her head. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Berry. Berry Allen.”

Len seemed to be committing her face to memory before a slight upward tilt of his lips made her blush. “Barry is a guy’s name, babe. You’re no guy.”

Her blush deepened as she dropped her head. “B-e-r-r-y. It’s actually Strawberry Henrietta Allen. Mom was a Beatles fan,” she admitted with no small amount of embarrassment. She had endured a lot of teasing as a child over her name. Of course, later on there was another, darker, reason for others to bully and tease her, but that wasn’t something she felt like discussing. She tensed when she heard footsteps behind her. How could she have forgotten there were two other people in the room?!!!

“Hope ya like french toast,” Mick said in his rumbling voice. “No juice, thanks to that walking through walls thing ya did, but there’s milk and coffee.”

Berry stepped back self-consciously and stared at Lisa and Mick with wide eyes. Len hesitantly released her arm, his hand sliding down to circle her wrist. When the other two didn’t seem to pay much attention to her, Berry looked at Len questioningly.

“Come on,” he urged. “Eat.”

* * *

Much later, in the privacy of her own bedroom, Berry alternated between amazement and concern about how easily she found herself getting comfortable between Len Snart and Mick Rory, eating breakfast. She stifled chuckles as she remembered the way Lisa and Len griped and teased one another. She smiled softly when she thought about how Mick had eyed her with astonishment at how much she could eat. When she shyly explained, cheeks burning, about her increased metabolism, he had jumped up to make more. Len and Lisa teased her about being Mick’s new favorite, since the man loved to cook almost as much as he loved fire. 

Mostly she remembered the way Len had looked when she said she needed to leave. He had offered to drive her, but she turned him down. She had no qualms about trusting him with her identity (nor Lisa and Mick, apparently) but she couldn’t let him take her to STAR labs. Cisco and Caitlin would be furious. 

_“The people who help me… their identities aren’t my secret to reveal,” she mumbled._

__

_Len nodded, despite the shadow of hurt in his eyes. “I get it.”_

__

_“You have to understand,” she went on, trying to alleviate that hurt, “not even my family knows about this part of my life.”_

__

_That shocked him. “What? How could they not know?” he asked._

__

_She sighed heavily. “They wouldn’t understand. To them, the Flash is as bad as the criminals I fight. Joe says the Flash should be locked up. He hates vigilantes.”_

Len had used a few colorful words to describe her adoptive dad that Berry found both amusing and insulting. In the end, though, he let her speed off with only a promise to text him later.

Luckily, Cisco and Caitlin hadn’t made too much fuss when she showed up. Neither were aware she had faced off with a meta the night before, since she had caught the alarm about the reptile man after they left to go home. When she got a call from Joe wondering why she missed dinner she had reluctantly lied about staying with Caitlin.

It was her go-to excuse whenever she had to cancel a family dinner or leave early for Flash business. As far as Joe knew, Caitlin was someone she had gone to college with, who was going through a nasty divorce. Eventually she would have to find a new story to tell despite Caitlin being fine with the cover. One could only go through a divorce for so long, after all. Maybe Cisco could come up with something. He was great at making up excuses to his family.

Berry took a shower, changed into her pajamas and sat back against her headboard. She grabbed her phone to text Len.


	6. Tough Discussions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Len wants is to spend more time with Berry.

**Scarlet: Home, safe and sound.**

Len grinned as he read Berry’s message.

**Len: Mick made lasagna. He’s mad that he only needed to make one pan.**

**Scarlet: Uggh! No fair teasing the hungry person!**

He chuckled and upped the teasing.

**Len: He made peach cobbler for dessert.**

**Scarlet: You’re a cruel man, Len.**

**Len: I’ve got a scoop of vanilla ice cream on mine.**

**Scarlet: That’s cold.**

**Len: Don’t start something you can’t finish.**

**Scarlet: Can’t take the heat?**

**Len: Nonsense. I’m always a little chili.**

**Scarlet: That’s horrible! God, I can’t believe I sunk so low as to pun with you!**

**Len: Are you saying I’m influencing you?**

**Scarlet: Not in a good way, either!**

**Len: I can be very good, Scarlet.**

**Scarlet: A good man wouldn’t mention homemade cobbler to the speedster eating energy bars.**

**Len: It’s such a good cobbler, too.**

**Scarlet: Tease.**

Len groaned and tried his best not to think dirty thoughts. He failed miserably.

**Len: I’d be happy to give you a bite.**

**Scarlet: Have you seen me eat???**

**Len: Fine. Two bites.**

**Scarlet: You’re incorrigible.**

**Len: You misspelled encouragable.**

**Scarlet: Trust me, I used the word I meant.**

He hesitated only a second before taking a chance.

**Len: You should come back over. Mick wants to feed you again.**

**Scarlet: Tell Mick that’s sweet of him. I have to work in the morning, though.**

**Len: And where is that?**

**Len: You told me your name. You have to know I can find out.**

He knew if she asked he wouldn’t investigate. He should, but he wouldn’t. He didn’t want to lose her trust.

**Scarlet: CCPD. I’m a CSI. No lab rat jokes, please.**

Ouch.

**Len: Police station, huh? That’s going to make it hard to pick you up for lunch.**

**Scarlet: We’re having lunch?**

**Len: You don’t want to miss out on Mick’s chicken wraps.**

**Scarlet: You’re killing me!**

Len smiled slightly, his fingers hovering over his phone. Lisa and Mick were in the living room arguing over what to watch and not-so-subtly giving him privacy for his ‘chat’ with Berry. All he wanted was for her to come back over. To sit with her. Look her in the eye while they talked. Laugh and joke like they had this morning. He took a deep breath and began typing.

**Len: It’s still kind of early, you know.**

**Scarlet: Early is 7am, which is when I have to be at the precinct.**

**Len: You could always stay the night again and I’ll drive you to work.**

**Scarlet: That couch did not look comfortable.**

**Len: Wasn’t offering the couch.**

In for a penny, in for a pound, he decided.

* * *

Berry stared at the message for a long time. Well, for a second, but with her powers, it felt like ages. Was Len saying what she thought, hoped, he was saying? She thought about how well she had slept last night. Sure, she had been injured and exhausted from the fight, but she had been in that state before and always slept poorly, plagued by nightmares and pain. 

The thought of intentionally choosing to sleep in Len’s bed… in his arms… 

She changed at full speed, throwing off her sleepwear and sliding into thick jeans and an old henley of Wally’s that she long ago appropriated. Running shoes over ankle socks and a thin jacket went on next. She paused long enough to ask herself if she was certain she knew what she was doing. The answer was no, but she took off anyway. 

* * *

She wasn’t going to answer. He pushed too hard, too soon. He tossed his phone onto the table and stared at the dessert in front of him. He hated this almost as much as he was loving it. He was always the type of man who planned out everything. His backup plans had backup plans. He made sure he always had every contingency covered. 

Then she zips into his life and everything goes haywire. He can’t plan for her chaos. All he does is react. She zips and pings around his mind constantly. He’s changing his MO. He’s still a master thief. He’s just a bit more selective about who he steals from because he hated the look of disappointment in her eyes whenever she caught him stealing from regular people. Once he realized she only showed exasperation when he targeted the mob or other less-than-stellar people, that was the direction he took.

It’s not just him, either. Lisa and Mick hadn’t complained one bit about how things were going, now. If anything, they both seemed happier. Mick hadn’t had a psychotic break in months. Lisa had more ammunition for her teasing, which always put her in a good mood. And not having to switch safe houses every other week had given all of them a sense of stability. Even the other Rogues (except Mardon) were easier to deal with. They had settled into one of the nicer safe houses across town and seemed content to lay low for now.

And now he may have just screwed it all up.

Len sighed and stood up, no longer interested in the treat slowly congealing in the bowl. He set the bowl in the sink and turned toward the doorway, having decided to just turn in for the night and try to fix things tomorrow. 

“Hey,” Berry said nervously, one hand twisting the hem of her shirt. 

For a second he thought he was seeing things. “Scarlet?”

She blushed and looked down at the floor. “I, um… you see… I was hoping… not that I’m expecting… you might not… not sure what this is...” She huffed and squared her shoulders before looking up at him with a fragile determination. “My bed’s kind of small, but yours isn’t. Can I stay?”

Len’s pretty sure he should be saying something. Instead he took two long steps and pulls her into his arms. He had imagined her lips would be soft and warm. They were electric. He could honestly feel tiny sparks spreading across his tongue as he licked her bottom lip. When her hands crept up to cling to his shoulders for balance as she went up on her toes, he picked her up and placed her on the table. Her legs weren’t parted enough for him to press flush against her, but enough for him to feel the heat building between their bodies. 

Needing more, he slid his hands around to her back and pulled her right to the edge of the table, pressing their bodies together. Berry gasped softly, allowing him the opportunity to slip his tongue inside so he could taste her. Her gasp was followed by a heated moan, which made his body tighten with increased desire. Reluctantly he released her mouth, but only so they could suck in much needed oxygen.

“Too many clothes,” he growled, sliding her jacket off. Berry’s eyes were almost completely blown, the thinnest ring of green still visible. He reached down and pulled her shirt up and over her head. He needed to feel her skin against his, so he quickly tugged off his own sweater. Berry’s eyes immediately went to his chest and her hands gripped his wrists tightly. Len was having trouble keeping his eyes off the yellow lace bra that concealed nothing.

Len knew he ran a little colder than most people, but the heat from her hands felt like it was branding him. It was a good feeling. Like she was marking him as hers. Berry shivered for a second before sliding her hands up his arms. He watched carefully as she studied every inch of his torso.

He knew that, at 41 years old, he wasn’t as toned as someone closer to her age. He wasn’t paunchy, by any means, but he didn’t look like a model, either. His chest hair was sprinkled with gray and he had scars. Lots of scars. He jumped slightly when Berry’s fingers tightened just above his elbows.

“So beautiful,” she whispered, her eyes roaming over his skin.

Len had never had that word applied to him before. Surely he had misheard her! He looked into her face and was astounded by the blatant awe and lust in her eyes.

Berry’s cheeks turned pink as she looked up at him through her lashes. “C-can I touch you?” she asked nervously.

“I wish you would,” he growled without thinking.

The feel of her feather-light touches sent his blood coursing south. She traced the scar over his shoulder with one finger before leaning in and kissing it softly. Her thumbs grazed his nipples, making him bite his bottom lip to keep from moaning. The old cigarette burn scars on his ribs got the same treatment. By the time she got to his navel he was struggling not to cum in his jeans. 

“Goodnight, Len! Goodnight, Berry!”

Lisa’s shout startled them both. Len jumped back as Berry suddenly disappeared. He was about to race from the kitchen to find her when a muffled ‘ow’ caught his ear. Confused, he bent and looked under the table. Berry was sitting on the floor, rubbing the top of her head with one hand and her hip with the other.

“Um...”

Berry groaned and quickly covered her face with her hands. “Well, that wasn’t humiliating,” she mumbled.

Len crouched down and took her hands in his. It took a little bit of force to pull them away from her bright red face. “That happen a lot?” he asked, amusement building at her embarrassment. 

Berry huffed and shot him a weak glare. “When I get startled, I phase. Like this morning when I went through the wall.”

He couldn’t help chuckling as he tugged her out from under the table. “You’d make one hell of a thief.”

Her glare got stronger, but he kept smiling. She was absolutely adorable, like a haughty Yorkie. “It’s your fault,” she whined. 

“How is it my fault?” he asked as they both stood back up.

Berry shifted awkwardly before sighing. “You distract me,” she answered.

Len liked the sound of that. He pulled her forward and wrapped his arms around her again. “We should probably test this more,” he said huskily, staring at her mouth again. He froze as Berry tensed and looked down. “What’s wrong?” he asked warily. 

“I… I should tell you something,” Berry mumbled. “I mean, you should know, right? Can’t just spring that on you. And if you’re upset, I can leave. It’s not like you owe me anything. You know, I should probably just go. That would be easier. Yeah, um, so...”

Len quickly leaned down and kissed her hard. Leave? No way in hell. Whatever it was she thought she had to say, he didn’t care. She wasn’t leaving. Not like this. Slowly she relaxed and began kissing him back. When her hands crept up around his neck he softened the kiss bit by bit until they were just pressing their lips together.

“Tell me,” he said softly. “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.”

Berry’s eyes were closed and she was breathing shallowly. Her arms tightened for a second before she took one deep breath and let it out slowly. “I, um, I’ve never been with a man,” she whispered.

Okay. He wasn’t expecting that.

* * *

Len traced the line of her cheekbone with one finger. How did he get here? Good things like this didn’t happen to guys like him. He was rough, physically and emotionally scarred, and had a childhood he wouldn’t wish on his worst enemy. Yet here he lay, an absolute angel in his arms. It wasn't just her physical appearance that enthralled, either. Sure, he was beautiful with her long chestnut hair and big green eyes. She had high cheekbones and a slender neck, speckled with tiny freckles. Her bottom lip was a bit fuller than the top, and so kissable. A bit leaner than most would consider feminine, it suited her. He liked her small curves and lean muscles. He liked the faint shadow of Lichtenberg scars that decorated her back and shoulders. Those things weren't what made him stare at her in awe, though.

No, the truly amazing thing about Berry was who she was inside. She was a hero. She was good and kind and believed in the best in others. She saved lives daily. Not just as a superhero, either. She worked in her civilian life for truth and justice. And this wonderful, selfless woman had offered him the most precious thing she had. Her innocence. 

When she had told him her secret, he had been shocked. She was 25. How could she still be a virgin? They had gone back to his bedroom and sat on the bed while she shyly explained that she wasn’t absolutely innocent. She had only had two serious relationships, both with women. One while in high school and one in college. When he wondered why she would be with him if she was a lesbian she shook her head and explained that she was bisexual. She had been attracted to men before, but never as intensely as she was with him. 

She told him that the only reason she didn’t have any ex-boyfriends was because no man had ever asked her out before. The one time she got up the courage to ask a guy out, he turned her down. Len’s already low opinion of people took a nose dive over that. How could any man look at Berry and not be smitten? Of course, if one had asked her out, he might not be getting this chance now, so maybe it was a good thing other men were idiots.

After a lot of prodding, she had gone into more detail. There wasn’t much, to be honest. She was shy, and incredibly nerdy, not to mention her adopted dad was a cop, so dating didn’t come easy to her. She had less dating experience in her 25 years than he had had by the time he was 15. Len could admit that his inner neanderthal had pounded it’s chest in joy over this knowledge. However, he stayed outwardly calm and guided her through what was obviously a difficult discussion for Berry. They talked for hours, Len determined to put her at ease. 

They did nothing more than some heavy kissing, either. He wasn’t about to be her first in some run down safe house with thin walls where everyone could hear. His Scarlet deserved better. Better than this, better than him. She was quick to assure him that she was sure, though. She wanted him. 

It was in the early morning hours that she drifted off to sleep. He felt a little guilty for keeping her up so late, knowing she had work in a few hours. He reached over and set the alarm on his phone. He would drive her as close to the precinct as he safely could. Maybe she would even let him pick her up afterwards. 

With that thought in mind, he settled down and wrapped his arms around her tight. He could easily get used to sleeping with her in his bed. He was fairly certain he already had.


	7. Unexpected Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe finds out about Berry's alter ego and isn't happy about it.

“You’re the Flash?!”

Berry jumped in surprise, dropping her folders to the lab floor. She stared, wide-eyed, as Joe slammed the door behind him shut. 

“W-what?” she stammered.

Joe’s eyes narrowed and his hands clenched at his sides. “How could you hide this from me?” he hissed. “Dammit, Berry! You’re a criminal!”

Berry paled and took an involuntary step backwards. “Joe, please, let me explain...”

“Explain what?” he demanded. “I saw you, Berry! I saw you sneak into that damn lab and come back out in that suit!”

Berry tensed. “You followed me?”

“Of course I did!” Joe growled. “You’ve been keeping secrets, Berry! For months you’ve been hiding things! I thought it was a girlfriend, but I was wrong, apparently. How could you do this? You’re breaking the law! You’re a CSI, Berry! You could be arrested for this!”

Berry shook her head quickly. “Come on, Joe! You’ve seen the people I fight as the Flash! The cops can’t stop them! Prison can barely hold them! I have to do this! I was given this power for a reason!”

“NOT TO BREAK THE LAW!” he shouted. 

“What should I do, then?” Berry yelled back. “Ignore the people out there that can whip up tornadoes or poison people with a touch? Pretend that I can’t run faster than a plane? I’m helping!”

“You’re a vigilante! A criminal!” Joe argued. “I should arrest you!”

Berry froze for a long moment. “Is that what you are going to do?” she asked softly. Joe tensed. She could see the indecision in his eyes. It broke her heart to see him look at her like she was the enemy. “Then I suggest you get a warrant, Joe. And bring the rest of the precinct. Because I’m not turning myself in, and I’m not going willingly,” she said softly. “Whether you like it or not, I have a duty to use my speed to stop those who use their powers for evil.”

“Berry, please...” Joe said roughly. “This isn’t who you are! This isn’t who I raised you to be!”

“This is EXACTLY who you raised me to be!” she shot back. “To protect! To fight for justice! To use my gifts, whatever they may be, to make the world better!” She shook her head as she grabbed her coat. “You do what you need to do, Joe. And I’ll do what I have to do.”

Joe clenched his hands tightly. “You’re throwing away everything, Berry! If you keep being the Flash, you’ll lose your job! I can’t protect you from that!”

Berry opened the lab door and paused long enough to look at him. “I don’t expect you to,” she said softly. She could feel several officers staring at her curiously as she hurried down the stairs and headed toward the door. Had they heard what Joe said? Was her secret out? 

“Allen!”

Berry froze as Eddie Thawne rushed over to her. He grabbed her elbow and walked them both into the elevator. As soon as the door shut he pressed the button for the basement and turned to face her.

“Look, Joe’s upset, but he’ll come around,” Eddie said in a quick, but quiet voice. “For now, I just want you to know that as far as I’m concerned, the Flash is a godsend. Most of the other officers feel the same.”

Berry’s eyes widened. “Y-you know?”

Eddie smiled brightly and nodded. “Of course I do. Berr, you and I have been best friends for five years. Do you really think I wouldn’t put it all together? The lightning, the coma, the Flash appearing right after you woke up? Give me a little credit.”

“I wanted to tell you,” Berry admitted softly. “It’s just… I’m a vigilante, Eddie. I couldn’t put you in the position of lying for me.”

Eddie smiled gently and pulled her close for a tight hug. “I know. That’s why I never confronted you. I do know you, Berry. I understood even without you explaining. You know I’ve always got your back, though, right?”

Berry nodded, sighing sadly. “I’m still sorry I never told you, Eddie.”

Eddie released her and reached up to ruffle her hair. “No need. That Flash suit doesn’t leave much to the imagination, you know.”

Berry blushed and slapped her hands over her face. “Oh, god!”

Eddie chuckled as the door opened and he pulled her out of the elevator and toward the exit that led to the underground parking garage. “I don’t think anyone else knows you’re the Flash, though.” His smile dropped as he stopped moving and faced her. “I recognized your eyes, first. No one else has ever looked at me with that much trust.”

“Why are you telling me all this?” asked Berry.

Eddie sighed. “Because I know that there are people out there that the police are helpless against. So, if you need anything, call me. I’ll do whatever I can.”

Berry smiled gently and hugged Eddie tight for a moment. “Thanks.”

He nodded and jerked his head to the side. “Get out of here before Joe decides he does want to arrest you, if only to keep you from being the Flash.”

Berry nodded and took a quick look around before speeding away. She headed straight to STAR labs. If Joe did get a warrant, Cisco and Caitlin needed to be on alert.

* * *

Len was starting to get worried. Okay, that was an understatement. He was way past worried. For four days he’d heard nothing from Berry. Complete radio silence since the night they had kissed. He had gone to her apartment, only to find it empty. He’d even stalked the precinct two mornings in a row but hadn’t spotted her. He was left wondering if maybe she had lied to him about where she lived. If maybe she had lied about a lot of things.

“Boss!” Hartley yelled from the other side of the old warehouse they used for meetings. “You need to see this!”

Len set aside his cold gun and walked across the room to see what had Hartley up in arms. He could feel Lisa and Mick watching him worriedly, but he ignored them. “What is it?” he growled.

Hartley chewed in his bottom lip before hitting a button on the keyboard. Len studied the video closely. It was a shot of the defunct STAR Labs. Suddenly there was a streak of lightning racing out the door. Minutes later it went back in. This was repeated a dozen times.

“Scarlet,” he whispered, leaning closer to the computer. Once the video stopped he looked at Hartley. “When was this?” he demanded.

“Two days ago,” the hacker said. “I found similar footage for each of the last three days.”

Len straightened up and hurried back to his gun. He strapped it on and grabbed his parka. “Hartley, Mick, you’re with me. Lisa, keep an eye on the others.”

The drive to STAR Labs was quick, but silent. Len parked in the back and they broke in through a side door. The lights were off but it seemed only recently abandoned. There was no dust, no debris. The halls were clean, if empty. Eventually they found themselves in a large room.

“This is the cortex,” Hartley said quietly. When Len and Mick looked at him, he shrugged. “I used to work here, before it exploded.”

Len kicked a rolling chair out of his way before bracing his hands on a console and letting his head drop forward. A dead end. Where the hell was she? Was she in danger? Hurt? Worse? The thought of losing her just when he had found her was like razor blades in his stomach.

“Len?”

His head shot up so fast he felt slightly dizzy. On the other side of the console stood Berry, looking at him with wide eyes. He didn’t bother moving around the obstacle, opting instead to jump over it and rush over to her. It only took a second to push her up against the wall and capture her lips with his. 

Feeling her arms wind around his waist spurred him on. He pressed closer until his hips were grinding hard against her core. Berry whimpered, but it sounded more needy than alarmed. When oxygen became an issue he released her mouth and trailed kisses along her neck.

“Len,” she moaned greedily, her hands sliding under his shirt and up his back.

“Got an audience,” Mick chuckled.

Berry gave a startled ‘eep’ sound before shoving at Len’s shoulders so she could hide her face. Len chuckled softly, burying his fingers in her hair. “I’ve missed you,” he admitted.

Berry sighed and tightened her arms for a moment. “I’m sorry. I meant to call, but it’s been so hectic. I’ve been trying to get everything settled, making sure they’re safe. I had todumpmyphone and the apartment and I haven’t gotten much sleep and everything’s allscrewedupsobadly and I stillhavetogetCiscosetupwithanewnetworkand...”

“Whoa,” Len said firmly. “Slow down, babe. You’re losing me here.”

Berry took a deep breath and moved away from Len, stepping into the cortex. She gave a Mick a smile before noticing Hartley. She froze for a moment but Hartley quickly closed the distance, pulling her into a hug.

“Thank you” he mumbled emotionally. “Thank you for everything!”

Berry relaxed slowly and hugged Hartley back. “You’re worth it,” she whispered fondly. 

Hartley tightened his grip for a second before letting her go and blushing with embarrassment. “Um, so, Cisco? Cisco Ramon? You work with him?”

Berry sighed and nodded, moving over to a desk and pulling open drawers. She began throwing everything into a box at super speed. “Joe found out I’m the Flash,” she said quickly. “He followed me here and found out about Cisco and Caitlin, too. We had to move everything as fast as we could.” 

She paused and drew in a shaky breath. “He had a warrant issued for the Flash this morning.”

Len came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her tight. “What can I do?”

“What can we do?” Mick corrected gruffly. 

Berry turned in Len’s embrace and buried her head in his chest. “I… I don’t know,” she admitted.

For several seconds no one moved. Then Hartley walked over to the console and began stacking papers into a box. After a moment Mick began helping. Len looked down at Berry with a smirk. “I guess we start packing,” he teased.

Berry grinned and raised up to press a quick kiss to his lips. “Thank you,” she said sincerely.

* * *

The new headquarters was actually in Keystone. The abandoned foundry was about four miles outside the city limits and surrounded by open land, so they could easily see anyone coming long before they reached the building. Which is why, when they arrived, Berry had them stay in the car while she got out and stood in view of the cameras at the gate. A moment later the gates rolled back and she waved the car in. As soon as they were through, the gate slammed shut behind them. Berry raced forward to the building while Len parked the car. The door opened and two people stepped out, looking wary.

“Berry? Who are they?” the woman asked.

Berry rubbed the back of her neck as the guys got out of the car. “Cisco, Caitlin, this is Len, Hartley and Mick. Friends of mine.”

Cisco stepped forward. “Hartley Rathaway?! No! No! No! He is not coming in here!”

Berry frowned, looking back and forth between the two men. “How do you know each other?”

“Hartley worked at STAR Labs,” Caitlin said softly. “He and Cisco… clashed. Often.”

Hartley shot the other man a smug look. “Francisco has ever been a jealous fool.”

Cisco took two quick steps forward. “Jealous? Of a washed up hack? Remind me,” he quipped, “which one of us has the destroyed rep?”

Berry moved quickly to stand between the two men, hands held out toward each one. “Stop it!” she shouted. “Is this really the time to be arguing?”

Caitlin frowned slightly, looking at Len and Mick. “Berry? Aren’t they criminals?” she asked.

Cisco turned and looked at the two men, then gasped. “Oh man! They’re the ones who stole my guns!” He turned back to Berry, accusingly. “Wait! You brought them here?!!”

Len walked over and wrapped an arm around Berry’s waist. Berry blushed but leaned into him. “Um, yes?”

Caitlin eyed them with surprise. “Berry, is this the man you’ve been seeing?” Berry nodded shyly. “But… he’s your enemy!”

Mick snorted as he unpacked the trunk of the car. “Hardly. Enemies don’t ghost through your wall and eat all your french toast.”

Cisco and Caitlin seemed confused and slightly scared. Berry sighed and tugged at the hem of her t-shirt. “Okay, so, um, I’ve been kinda talking to Len. Outside of the Flash stuff. And Mick, Hartley and Lisa, she’s Len’s sister, know who I am, and they wont tell anyone, Iswearsodontpanicokay?”

“Scarlet, you’re blurring your words again,” Len teased. Berry blushed a deep red. Len chuckled and looked toward the two scientists. “One, Berry is completely safe with me. Two, so are you, since you’re important to her. Three, we got everything out of the lab, so how about you show us where you want the boxes?”

Cisco and Caitlin exchanged wary glances before looking back at Berry who was still leaning on Cold. Caitlin sighed and nodded. “Welcome to our base,” she said finally, moving down the steps to the car. She picked up a box and headed back inside. “But if you betray us,” she warned over her shoulder, “I have 83 different undetectable poisons I could use to kill you.”

Mick started to chuckle but Hartley cleared his throat. “She’s a biochemist. She could do it.”

Mick’s eyes widened as he grabbed two boxes. “Really? Smart, sexy and scary. I like that.”

Berry watched Cisco bristle at Hartley as he led the two Rogues inside before looking up at Len. “Sorry,” she sighed. “I keep making things difficult.”

Len smiled and gave her waist a squeeze. “I like a challenge,” he replied.


	8. New Base

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four days of worry over Berry pushes Len to make sure Berry is his. Berry is definitely not complaining.

Len stepped into the room Berry had claimed as her own and looked around. Several boxes were stacked up along one wall. Two IKEA boxes holding the pieces to build bookshelves were under the small window. A double sized bed sat in the center of the room, unmade. There was a dresser and a large metal shelving unit holding stacks of books and photos in frames. Len walked closer and studied each one. Most were of a young Berry with a blonde man and a redheaded woman he assumed were her real parents. There were two of Berry and a group of people her age, probably college friends. There were a few of Berry with her adoptive family and one of Berry and her two scientist friends, as well. The door closed and he turned to see Berry watching him closely.

“Snooping?” she teased.

Len grinned and crossed the floor, backing her up against the door. He braced his hands on either side of her head and bent until he could nuzzle her neck lightly. “Maybe,” he admitted, breathing in her scent. “Mad?”

Berry’s breathing hitched and her hands fluttered slightly before landing on his waist. “No.”

Len shifted closer, seeking her heat. “God, I’ve missed you,” he whispered against her pulse.

Berry moaned, tilting her head to give him more access. “Len, please,” she begged, breathing harder. “Don’t tease.”

Len groaned and pressed closer. He was still overemotional from the fears of the last four days. He tilted her head toward him and kissed her deeply. Berry quickly responded, her hands moving around to the small of his back and pulling him flush against her. Len growled around their tongues as her hips rubbed against his rock hard cock. 

He bent and lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist. “Gotta slow down, Scarlet,” he groaned. “Want this to be perfect. Not going to take you in some run down warehouse.”

Berry whimpered as he carried her to the bed. “I’m with you. It is perfect,” she whispered. “Please, Len! I’ve missed you so much!”

Len laid her down, covering her petite frame with his much larger one. Berry moaned into his neck as her legs tightened, grinding her pelvis against him. He growled as he bent his head and mouthed at her right breast through her shirt. It was clear she wasn’t wearing anything underneath the thin cotton. Her nipple pebbled against his lips and he latched on, biting gently. 

“More,” Berry demanded breathlessly. 

Len drew back to grab the hem of her shirt and pull it over her head. He licked his lips as his eyes roamed over her silky skin. Freckles were scattered all across her chest and he was sorely tempted to connect them with his tongue. Berry’s hands grabbed onto his shoulders and tugged him down so she could kiss him, deep and dirty. When she caught his tongue and sucked hard Len gave up all pretense of control. He quickly reached between them and unbuttoned her jeans before shoving the material down her legs. When he had pushed it as far as he could he rose up and jerked them completely off. He knelt on the floor and grabbed her hips, pulling her to the edge of the bed. Once she was where he wanted her, he lifted her knees onto his shoulders and pressed his mouth to her core.

Sparks of lightning danced across every inch of skin he touched. He slid his tongue along her folds gently a couple of times before pressing further in. Berry gasped and writhed as he licked circles around her opening before moving up to her clit. He gripped her hips hard to keep her still. He licked and sucked at the little bundle of nerves, carefully cataloging her reactions. He could feel her body tensing and her clit swelling gently against his tongue. Berry’s whimpers got louder and more needy. Len lifted his head, uncaring of the juices practically dripping from his chin. “Cum for me, honey. Let me taste you.”

Berry’s mouth opened in a pleasure-filled scream as her back arched. When Berry’s body slumped back onto the mattress, he grabbed for his wallet. He almost dropped the condom he had retrieved in his hurry, but he managed to hold onto it. He ripped it open with his teeth and quickly unfastened his pants, shoving them down to his knees. He had the condom on before his addled brain thought to make sure Berry wanted this. He looked up, only to find her watching him with intense hunger. 

Berry licked her lips and met his eyes. “Please,” she whispered. 

Len swallowed and inched closer. He wrapped a hand around his aching cock and rubbed the head between her folds a couple of times before pressing lightly against her opening. “I wish this didn’t have to hurt,” he said gently.

Berry reached down and cupped his jaw with her palm. “I know you’ll make me feel good,” she replied confidently.

Len took a deep breath and slowly pressed forward. When he breached her barrier he took her hand in his and kissed her wrist before pushing in further. He hated the sharp pinched look in her eyes and the low gasp of pain that escaped her throat. He kept going until he was fully sheathed, then rubbed her stomach gently while he waited for the pain to recede. After a long, tense moment Berry began to shift her hips, a needy look replacing the pained one. Len gripped her hips carefully before pulling his back. He started with a slow, gentle motion, allowing her time to adjust to the strange feelings. Soon she was bucking her hips and trying to pull him in deeper. Ever so often her body would tremble and vibrate, sending intense pleasure shooting through Len’s body.

Len sped up and leaned forward to kiss her stomach and chest, his hands moving from her hips to her breasts. It wasn’t long before he could feel his own orgasm approaching, but he was determined that he would get her off once more. He leaned back and began toying with her clit, sliding his thumb across it before firmly rubbing it between his fingers.

Berry moaned and bucked, her hands clawing at the blankets as her head pressed hard against the mattress, baring her throat. Len was certain he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. He had little warning before Berry’s inner muscles suddenly tightened around his shaft and began to vibrate wildly. With a bitten off shout he slammed into her as deeply as he could, his orgasm ripping through him like a bolt of lightning. 

Several seconds passed before Len was able to compose himself enough to pull out and dispose of the condom. He grabbed a pillow case off a nearby box and used it to clean them both up. Then he pulled himself up onto the bed and shuffled them both around to lay down. Berry snuggled against his chest, expression pleased but exhausted. Len pressed a kiss to her lips after he covered them with the blanket. His last coherent thought was that he was never going to want anyone else in his bed ever again.

* * *

Len blinked slowly, momentarily confused as to where he was. Soft lips closed around his nipple and he gasped in surprise. Len looked down to find Berry leaning over his chest, apparently feeling playful. Her teeth tugged at the peaked nub before releasing it and smiling up at him. 

“Hi,” she said shyly.

Len reached down and pulled her up for a deep kiss. “Hi to you, too.”

Berry giggled and lay down over him, tucking her face into his neck. “I wasn’t sure how long I should let you sleep,” she mumbled against his skin. “Mick and Hart left an hour ago, but said they’d be back by 6 with food and Lisa.”

“What time is it?” he asked, soaking up her warmth.

“Almost 3 o’clock,” she answered. “We slept two hours. Hart helped Cisco get the network up and running and Mick helped Cait move equipment around. Um, apparently we weren’t very quiet, so they um, know what we were doing,” she whispered.

Len curled his arms around her, feeling smug. “Guess we can skip the tattoo that says Property of Cold, then.”

Berry lightly slapped at his arm. “Hey! Is this what I have to look forward to? Caveman possessiveness?”

He snorted and kissed her hair. “I’m a thief and a criminal, Scarlet. I take what I want and make it mine.”

She was quiet for several seconds before raising up to look at him. Len watched the emotions flashing across her face with awe. Hope. Fear. Happiness. Desire. It was all there, plain as day, for him to read.

“Am I?” she asked softly. “Am I yours?”

Len smiled gently and lifted a hand to cup her cheek. “We’re each other’s,” he promised. “I’ve never wanted anything as much as I want this, Berry.”

Relief and joy filled her eyes. She leaned back down and kissed him hard. Len rolled them over and settled between her legs. He knew she was likely too sore for another round but that didn’t mean he couldn’t give her pleasure. He began kissing down her body with single-minded determination.

* * *

Len watched from the entrance of the room as Berry talked animatedly to Detective Thawne. Detective Eddie Thawne. Who was only a couple of years older than Berry. And blonde. And handsome. And heroic. 

Len wanted to punch him in the face then throw Berry over his shoulder and take her right straight back to bed.

Berry looked over and smiled brightly. She grabbed Thawne’s wrist and dragged him over to Len. “Hey,” she said happily, going up on her toes to kiss him briefly. “I was hoping you’d be here before Eddie left. Len, this is Eddie Thawne, my best friend. Eddie, this is Len, my boyfriend.”

Len relaxed at the casual way Berry named their relationship. “Detective,” he said neutrally.

Thawne sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Berr,” he mumbled. “Please tell me you know he’s a criminal.”

Berry snorted and moved to snuggle into Len’s side. “He’s a marshmallow.”

Len looked down at her with annoyance. “Don’t make me ice you, Scarlet.”

Berry narrowed her eyes at him, even as her lips quirked up in a smile. “Puns get you an empty bed,” she reminded him.

“That’s cold,” Hartley teased as he and Caitlin walked into the room.

Berry shoved a finger in the meta’s face. “No encouraging him!”

Len was surprised by the sudden look of awe in the detective’s eyes as Hartley and Caitlin moved to the other side of the room. Berry giggled softly and patted Thawne’s chest. ‘His name is Hartley Rathaway, he’s deaf, but don’t treat him like he’s handicapped. Also, he’s one of Len’s Rogues, so if you break his heart, I’ll let Len shoot you.”

Thawne’s face turned bright red as he tried to glare at Berry. “Shut up,” he hissed, glanced toward Hartley over his shoulder. After a moment he turned back to Berry. “Should I?” he asked softly.

Berry nodded quickly. “Ask him out, Eddie. He’s my friend. I trust him.”

A wide, hopeful smile broke out across Thawne’s face and he nodded before quickly walking over to where Caitlin and Hartley were working. Berry wrapped her arms around Len’s waist and giggled again as she watched Thawne start talking to Hartley, who looked surprised but pleased.

Len finally relaxed fully. “He’s gay,” he said with relief.

“As a rainbow colored fishnet shirt,” Berry confirmed. After a second she looked up at him with amusement. “You were jealous!”

Len sniffed imperiously. “Of Pretty Boy? Ridiculous.”

Berry’s smug smile got bigger. “You totally were. Len, Eddie and I have been friends since college. He’s my best friend, almost a brother. He’s been running interference with Joe for us. He helped us find this place. Eddie and I have never been attracted to one another.” She smiled softly and moved in front of him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I only want you,” she promised softly.

Len held her close and kissed her softly. “You and me, Scarlet,” he promised.


	9. Declarations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been three years since they met. Len can't remember ever being happier.

Len looked up as the door to the maintenance room opened. Eddie walked in and shut it behind him. Len raised one eyebrow in question but Eddie simply squared his shoulders and gave Len a determined look.

“I’ve known Berry since college,” he told Len, taking a seat in the chair on the other side of the workbench. “I was immediately enamored with her. Not sexually, but mentally. There’s just something so pure and sweet about Berry that you just can’t help loving her. We became close friends and I’ve always been grateful for that.” Eddie smiled faintly. “Berry has been happier for a couple of months now. More relaxed. I can only assume that’s when you two started seeing one another.”

“Three months and eight days since we began flirting,” Len admitted. “We started out as adversaries, then became friends. We’re together now,” he said, making sure Eddie couldn’t misunderstand what he was saying. “It’s only been a few days as far as this part of our relationship goes, but we’ve been close for a while.”

Eddie studied him carefully. “Who made the first move?”

Len hesitated. “She got hurt and called me for help. That’s when I realized there was nothing I wouldn’t do for her. As for the first move, it was me.”

“She called you for rescue?” Eddie asked. “You must have been close already.”

“We had been talking quite a bit before that.” Len studied the cop intently. He didn’t see any censure or suspicion in the man’s baby blues, though. He opted to be honest, for now. “I’d been pursuing her for months,” he acknowledged. “Can you blame me? She’s smart, sexy, intriguing.”

Eddie laughed lightly. “She’s a disaster,” he corrected. “But she’s a delightful disaster. How someone so fast can be so clumsy or chronically late is a mystery.”

Len smirked. “She’s never late with me.”

Eddie looked at him with a hint of respect. “If she’s making that much of an effort, I should make sure you understand exactly what’s going to happen if you hurt her.”

“You’ll lock me in the darkest hole in Iron Heights?” Len guessed.

“I’ll bury you,” Eddie corrected coldly. “Well, what’s left of you, anyway. I’m not the only officer who cares about Berry. Most of us would turn a blind eye to whatever happens to the man who breaks her heart.”

Len tensed internally but managed to remain calm outwardly. “I have no intentions of breaking her heart. She’s more important to me than anyone or anything else.”

Eddie stood and nodded. “Good. Now, I’m going to go yell at her for not telling me she’s dating one of her own villains. Then I’m going to make her run to Coast City for pizza. Best pies in the country. Any particular style you want?”

Len smirked and set aside the polish he was using on his coldgun. “Meat. All the meats.”

* * *

“Ever think this would be our life?” Mick asked, holding out a beer to Len.

Len accepted the beer and snorted. “Superpowers, nerds, cops and idiots. How the fuck did we end up surrounded by do-gooders?”

Mick chuckled as he opened his beer. “Can’t say it’s been a bad six months working with the white hats. Still get the thrill of running from the cops while also having your girlie make sure we don’t get busted.”

Len watched Berry throw her hands up in the air before launching into another rapid-fire rant too fast to follow. To the left of the two men stood Eddie, Hartley and Lisa, looking just as smug as Len felt. Cisco and Caitlin were across the room, looking worried. Beside them were a blonde woman and a black man who looked more amused than alarmed. Meanwhile, the blonde man Berry was currently screaming at was putting up his hands as if trying to placate her. Len couldn’t hear what the asshole was saying, but from the look in Berry’s eyes, it wasn’t calming her down. Then again, the jackass had tried to puncture one of Len’s lungs with an arrow. 

“Screw you, Oliver!” Berry shouted, drawing back a leg and kicking the archer in a most sensitive place. He dropped to his knees instantly, eyes bugged out and mouth wide open as he gasped in pain. “You try anything like that again and I’ll shove that quiver where the sun don’t shine! You have no right to come to MY base and pass judgement on me OR my team! My relationship with Len is none of your business and if you EVER so much as look at him wrong, I will personally lead every Rogue in an assault on your base and burn it to the ground!”

“Dammit, Berry,” Oliver wheezed. “I’m just looking out for you!”

“I don’t need you to!” Berry snarled. “I can look out for myself! And I have Len to handle anything I can’t! He’s not just my boyfriend, Oliver! He’s my trainer, teammate, partner. I trust him with everything! He’s saved me more times that you know. Not just from bad guys, but from myself. He helps me, cares for me, makes sure I’m happy and safe. He’s my everything! I love him!”

Len handed Mick his beer and strode across the room. He wrapped Berry in his arms and kissed her fiercely. Dimly he heard a few cheers and one loud cat-call. He pulled back and smiled tenderly down at Berry. “Love you, too, Scarlet.”

A rush of colors and wind later and they were back in their room. Len quickly laid them both down on the queen sized bed he had bought right after moving in. Hands pressed and stroked and quickly undressed the other. Words weren’t necessary. They had just said the most important ones, after all.

* * *

Len watched Berry race around the ball field with a smirk. The children in the stands cheered loudly as the carnival stands and rides seemed to magically build themselves. A hand nudged his side and he turned to accept the two paper cups of hot chocolate Lisa had brought him. He caught a glimpse of Captain West near the concession stand, looking awkward and out of place. He couldn’t resist smirking at the man before turning back to watch Berry.

Three years. That’s how long it had been since he first met the woman who would completely turn his life upside down. That first year had mostly been filled with him chasing the fastest woman alive. There were times he thought he’d fail. Berry’s trust and friendship were hard to earn, but once given, she didn’t hold anything back. What started as a fit of pique became a relationship that redefined Len’s entire life. 

When she lost her job and had to move her base Len realized just how tenuous her situation was. She was fighting every night, often against people with powers that put her life in danger. Speed was all well and good for getting to crimes, and she could sometimes adjust her abilities to hold her own, but what good was speed when fighting someone in a mirror world or who could read your mind and know you every move before you made it? 

Len had made the decision to join Berry’s team without any hesitation. Unsurprisingly, most of his crew had come along with him. Mardon was the only hold out and he quickly ended up in Iron Heights’ new meta wing without Len and the others to back him up. Before the second year was out, there were a couple more new faces. Ralph Dibney and Frankie Kane came to them via Eddie. Both had been affected by the particle accelerator and, after some training, became effective support in the field.

For a little over a year they operated in secret, doing what they could to keep Central safe. He and Mick trained Berry, Ralph and Frankie. Lisa worked with Cisco running the computers and comms. Hart designed most of their equipment and suits. Shawna helped Caitlin with anything medical while also going back to school and becoming a RN. Eddie kept them informed of what the anti-metahuman task force West formed was doing. It wasn’t long before they were a cohesive team, working almost seamlessly. 

Len couldn’t believe how easy it was to adjust to his new life. For the first time in over forty years, he felt like he was something more than just a middle-aged thief. He was part of something bigger, something more important. Waking up each morning with Berry in his arms, falling asleep each night with her head on his chest, he had never been more settled.

Then Zoom burst onto the scene. Just thinking of that black-clad bastard made Len’s blood boil. He had almost lost Berry to the evil speedster more than once. In the end, they prevailed, but Zoom had terrorized the city for months before they were able to defeat him. Having the city rally behind the team had been surprising, as well. Len almost had a stroke when it was announced that the Governor had pardoned the entire team and then made them official guardians of the city which kept them from being called vigilantes anymore. 

That went a long way to healing the rift between her and her foster father. They were working on it, but both of them were very stubborn people. Joe West would never approve of her actions and he most definitely would never approve of her being with him, but Berry made it perfectly clear that he had no say on her personal life. That made things easier for Eddie when he went public with his relationship with Hartley. The only detractors then were Hartley’s family, but they quickly shut up when the public, which fully embraced their heroes, began crucifying them for the way they had treated their son.

Len had never worked on the right side of the law before meeting Berry. He liked teasing her about making him a ’pseudo-cop’. She usually responded with a wicked smile and a few hours of reminding him why he liked being on her side.

Len grinned as Berry finished putting together the last ride and zipped toward him. He held out her cup and she skidded to a stop only a couple of inches away. He laughed as she gulped the sugary drink down. Seconds later several kids were clamoring around the field, loudly cheering and lining up for rides. Looking into her bright eyes and flushed cheeks under the mask, he knew this was the moment.

“Marry me,” he said tenderly.

For a moment Berry stood before him frozen in place. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Len’s stomach flipped and he had a second to wonder if he had been too impulsive, then Berry launched herself forward, arms around his neck and legs around his waist.

“YES!”

Len laughed as he wrapped his arms under her hips and held her tight to him. _Damn, I love this woman!_


End file.
